Beautiful white flowers that open after dark and close as the sun rises are interesting and unusual enough. But also consider that such flowers may be sweetly scented, with sepals of red, purple, or green, and I’m sure you will agree that the gardener has something to be enthusiastic about. Hylocereus Group The most popular … Read more
The pansy is of easy culture, blossoms profusely for months, and maybe had in many colors from delicate pastel shades to rich, dark tones, some solid colors, others blotched, penciled, or veined. There are varieties so ruffled that they appear almost double. Those with “faces” seem all the more friendly. Fresh, new crop seed is … Read more
If an adage fits a specific situation, “Don’t plant a five-dollar tree in a two-bit hole,” applies to lily planting. In other words. don’t plant a good lily bulb in bad soil. Tulips or gladiolus might grow if planted that way, but I warn you. Lilies are different. However, one thinks you will agree that … Read more
If you are growing lilies for the first time, you are entering one of the most exciting and rewarding of all garden adventures. Until recently, lilies were considered exotic and difficult plants, suitable only for the expert gardener or estate owner. With few exceptions, they were natural species, each of which, to thrive satisfactorily, required … Read more
Several years ago, when I checked one of the country’s best nursery catalogs, I found over 50 species and varieties of our native wildflowers listed as common garden flowers. Other varieties, such as the lovely new tradescantias, were horticultural or hybrids with native wildflower ancestry. However, there are still many native wildflowers with garden values … Read more
Gardening in the lower South may seem a topsy-turvy process to gardeners elsewhere, for the season’s activities begin in the fall, reach their peak about January, and are almost at a standstill in June. During the summer, gardens—and gardeners—take it easy. The combination of heat and moisture (unlike California, our rainy season is in the … Read more
Lilies have become so popular that many gardeners are trying varieties that would have been seen in a few private gardens not too long ago. Not only are average gardeners planting lilies, but they are finding that the old myth about lilies being difficult to grow is just that—a myth. Today, with all the new … Read more
The one sure way to prevent that sudden let-down feeling in the hardy border after the last tulips fade is to have Oriental poppies coming on to take their place. There are, of course, tall bearded iris in many lovely colors, but none of which carry on the dramatic impact of the tulips, especially in … Read more
After midsummer, the interest in shrub plantings is carried almost entirely by types with brightly colored fruits and foliage. However, several shrubs furnish attractive bloom right up to frosts, and the succession may continue through the winter, with some shrubs in bloom outdoors virtually every week. Bluebeard Species The Bluebeards are hard to beat for … Read more
Can you look forward to another season of colorful flowers when early frosts mow down zinnias, asters, and the other annuals in your garden? You can, if you have plantings of the hardy bulbs which, set out in late summer, make welcome patches of bloom on crisp October and November days to view the brilliance … Read more